Barcadia is like the cool kids' version of Dave & Buster's. The new Henderson Avenue bar has nearly a dozen '80s arcade games and a handful of skee ball machines that cost only a quarter to play. (Skee ball tournaments are held Mondays, so prepare your Velcro wrist-wrap.)

Photos by JASON JANIK/Special Contributor

Visitors try their hand at skee ball, located at the end of a row of classic arcade games at Barcadia, a new Henderson Avenue haunt that also features a cool patio and tasty eats.

Rockabilly-inspired waitresses (left) wear red lipstick and poufy mid-century 'dos. Beer floats and crispy, fried mini hot dogs grace the menu.

One of Barcadia's best features is the patio, which is huge and dog-friendly and faces Henderson. Most of the tables there were taken on a recent Friday around 11 p.m., so we found a booth inside and ordered the fried hot dogs and beer. The dogs arrived gushing with meaty juices. Yum.

A breeze drifted in from the patio, and our seats pulsed with the bass of Depeche Mode's "Strangelove," which blared through the speakers. Against the wall, people in jeans and T-shirts and tattoos stood in front of their games, furiously punching buttons and wiggling joysticks.

The Skee-Ball machines had the longest waits, so we kept one eye on the lanes as we munched and sipped.

Two machines finally opened up – yes! But when I was only $1.50 into it, a woman tapped my shoulder. Was I going to hurry?

She's lucky I didn't throw a dog in her hair. Barcadia may need to post a sign: All adults must wait their turn.

Read more about Dallas nightlife on Quick's nightlife blog, nightlife.beloblog.com.

Barcadia: 1917 N. Henderson Ave., 214-821-7300. myspace.com/barcadiadallas

What to wear: Anything casual

What the music is like: An eclectic mix of old-school hip-hop, '80s and funk.

Drink of choice: Draft beer. Choices range from Lone Star to Saint Arnold.

Seen/heard: Framed shots of 1940s pin-up girls, smiling suggestively on the walls

Smoking: Yes

Cover: None. Parking is tight, so bring cash ($3) for valet.

Bottom line: If you ever owned an Atari or whiled away afternoons at the mall arcade, you'll love the place.

THE GAMES

With video games as a central feature, the vibe at Barcadia is always fun.

Here are a few of the games Barcadia offers. The bar can provide change.

•Joust

•Ms. Pac-Man

•Spy Hunter

•Star Wars

•Robotron

•Galaga

•Defender

•Mario Bros.